1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water and air cooling systems, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved direct water evaporating and cooling system which utilizes a vacuum pump to cool water directed through a heat exchanger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As can be appreciated, traditional air conditioners consume a lot of energy, and they are quite expensive to manufacture and maintain due to the complexity of the compression and condensing cycles associated therewith. To lessen the cost of air conditioning, it is sometimes feasible to utilize cooled water systems which dispense with the use of a compressed gas in an evaporative cycle to achieve a desired heat exchange. In this respect, all cooling cycles are based upon the evaporation of a liquid, such as Freon gas or the like, which then results in an absorption of heat. More specifically, before a liquid can evaporate, heat must be absorbed.
Most cooling cycles rely upon some type of evacuation to assist in the evaporating of a liquid, and further, it is known that water can be evaporated in the presence of a vacuum to effect a desired cooling of a fluid. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,049 which issued to A. Schnerring on Feb. 16, 1971, discloses an aspirator and circulating cooling apparatus. The aspirator draws a constant vacuum within the circulating cooling system, while a water pump delivers water to the aspirator which is at least partially evaporated by the vacuum effect to a achieve a desired cooling of the main water supply contained within the aspirator.
While this basic concept relating to the evaporation of water in a vacuum environment is known in the prior art, apparently no use has been made of the concept to develop an economical and inexpensive air cooler which could be used in a residence, commercial, industrial or the like. As such, there exists a continuing need for new and improved water and air cooling systems which are of a practical and inexpensive design, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this needs.